Roofing tile



y 935. lmMpER 2,002,244

ROOFING TiLE Filed Aug. 28, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Juuus KREMPER ATTORNEY I a IHHKHIIHIMIIVII) May 21, 1935.

J. 'KREMPER ROOFING TILE INVENTOR. JUL/us KREHPER ATTORNEY 2,002,244 ROOFING TILE Julius Kremper, Oakland, Calif; A Application August 28,1931, Serial stigma;

3 Claims. (01.108 40) The invention relates to improvements in roofing tile.

An object of the invention is to provide tiles of the class described which, in use, provide a particularly watertight and flexible roof.

Another object is to provide for a lateral overlapping of adjacent tiles in such a manner that the fact of such overlapping is concealed.

A further object is to provide for tying the of overlapping courses together andto the roof whereby the forward ends of the tiles may not be lifted by a heavy wind.

Yet another object is to provide for the inde pendent replacement of tiles in a roof thereof, the

weather side of the roof.

' aforesaid securing means being releasable and the tiles being independently replaceable from the The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of typical embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing tiles embodying the invention assembled in a roof.

Figure 2 is afragmentary outer face view of four interlocked tiles of the roof, a portion of one tile being broken out.

Figure 3 is an enlarged tra 3-3 in Figure 2.

nsverse section at Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section at 4-4 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section Figure 4.

at 54 in t Figure 6 is a view showing a stack of the tiles viewed from one tile-edge side thereof, portions of certain tiles of the stack being broken away.

Figure 7 is a front end view of the stack of tiles shown in Figure 6.

1 Figure 8 is a view of the other side of the stack from that shown in Figure 6.

tile.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary under face view of a Figure 10 is an upper face view of another embodiment of the tile. it p Figure 11 is an under face view of the tile shown in Figure 10.

"Figure 12 is a section at l2l2 in Figure 10.

Figure 13 is a front end view of the tile of Figure 10.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary "face view of the tile assemblyvofwFigure 14'. v 1 m V Figure 16 is asection at Hi -l6 in Figure 15.

Figurel'? is atfragmentary section at the line Figures 18- and 19.are end andside views respectively of a stackof the .tiles disclosed inFigure14.

NITED STATES A EN OF Figure 20 isa fragmentaryunderface view of 10 the tile shown in Figure 14-. x

Figure 21 is an outer face view of a modification of the tile shown inFigure 14. M

Figure 22 is an under face view of the tile shown inFigure2l. '1

Figurei23 isa section at 23-?23 in Figure 21. Figure 24 is a front end 'v'iewaof the tile in Figure21. M2 3 .As particularly illustrated in "Figures l to 9 inclusive, generally flat tiles-'6 are provided for a mutuallyoverlapp'ed'engagement at the lateral edges therofpas. shown} side "edge .portions 7 and Br of the tiles are reduced from the.-top and bottom tile facesrespectively whereby a portion B may overlap a portion Tofalaterally adjacent andlike-tile inthe same course'without thereby increasing" the roof thickness thereat; Preferably, and as shown; the complementary faces of the tile portions 1' and 8 are formed-to provide grooves 9- and tongues Ill respectively, whereby the grooves 9 provideldrainage channels extend ing solely longitudinally of the tilesand are arrangedtoreceive tongues In of a laterally adjacent tile. It is obvious that one or more of the tongues l0 and complementary grooves 9 may be providedin accordance with the degree of lateral seal required; in the present instancethere are two of each. r

Means are preferably provided for operation as a water bafile at the forward end of the portion 8,'*and in the present instance said means comprises a cross-wall H which provides a flush extension of the forward end face I3 of the tile of the next lower course whereby a water baffle is provided opposite the forward ends of the tongues l0 and of the forward ends of the grooves 9 of a laterally adjacent tile when the tongues "l0 engage therein. For

permitting a disposal of thecross walls H in r the described relation to the forward groove ends, the tile portions 1 terminate at an appropriate distance to the rear of the tile face l3 whereby the tile may be considered to be notched out at the appropriate front corner for the complementary reception of the cross wall H.

Bafile means are provided also at the rear end of the tile portion 1, said means comprising a cross-wall l8 providing a flush extension of the rearward end face IQ of the tile which extends upwardly for the full height of the tile thereat. The cross-wall I8 is understood to form a complete closure at the rearward end of the grooves 9 and lies opposite the rearward ends of the tongues IU of a laterally adjacent and engaged tile. For permitting this disposal ofthe cross wall IS, the tile is notched out at the rearward end of the tongue portion 8 to receive 'the :cross.

wall IS in fitted relation thereat. It is noted .that the jointure provided at the cross wall'lfl provides a jog in the line of abutment of adjacent and engaged tiles, and that this ,iointur-e is arranged to be concealed beneath theforward ends of the .tiles ofthe next higher course thereof- Centrally, the tiles 6 are each formedto provide a channel 2| of uniform cross section transversely'of the tile, said channel serving to provide the main drainage passage for the tile and prefer.- ably extending for substantially the full'tile width between the tile portions .1 and 8. Forwardly of the tile, the channel 2| terminates at the face l3. At the rear of the channel 2| a cross wall 22 is provided, said wall extending co the top face of the tile and being aligned with the cross-wall l8. In the present embodiment, the channel 2 l is of regul'artrapezoidal section with its shortest base at the bottom. The provision .of the channel 2|, it is noted, permits a marked reduction of the tile weightand'also provides for the reception of a baffle apron 24 provided, on each tile for engagement in the channel 2! of the underlying overlapped and mutuallyalig'ned tile.

Preferably, and as "shown, the apron 24 depends from the forward end of each tile to provide a continuation of the face l3, and is complementary to the channel space in which it is disposed. Inthis manner the apron 24 of the tiles of one course are arranged to freely engage the channels '21 of the tiles :of the next lower course to permit a variable and adjusted degree .of overlap of, the courses.

Itwill now be noted that a-transverse-section through the front portion of .a tile at a cross wall 1 l and apron 24 willhave mutually complementary top and bottom lines. Similarly,-a section through a rearward portion of the tile at the cross-walls l8 and 22 will also have upper and lower lines which are complementary. Intermediate the tile portions provided with the various bafiie walls, the tiles are of uniform section, and the whole relation is such asto=permit a particularly compact stacking of tiles for storage or shipment in a minimum space. Furthermore, when the present tiles are stacked inthe manner shown in Figures 6 to '8, contacting tiles of a stack are arranged to engage over such a wide area that no specialpacking is required, with the-possible exception-of the-provision of sheets of paper or-the like between the opposed tile faces. This provision for compact stacking is deemed to be agnovel and particularly important feature respecting tiles having-the high degreeof interlock and mutual sealing possessed by the present tiles, since breakage and transportation costs are reduced to-a minimum.

shown, the portion of the cross wall 22 adjacent the slot is depressed whereby the fastener head 28 may be disposed beneath the bottom surface of an overlying tile. This means of fastening a tile to an underlying support, it is noted, is arranged to permit the independent removal of a tile from a roof thereof, the nail shank and head fitting loosely for permitting any necessary rocking of the tile during removal or replacement.

The present tiles, it will be noted, may be of glazed or unglazed ceramic ware, or may be formed of any one of a wide variety of concrete mixtures. In any event, the design of the present tiles is seen to be such as to permit their being ofminimum weight per unit of area covered by them.

Since in some localities, tile roofs are subject to. wind conditions which may tend to lift or shift the tiles of a roof thereof, particularly in case the tiles are of relatively light weight, as in the present instance, means are preferably provided for use in holding down the forward tile ends when and as desired. In the present tile structures, provision is made for tying the forward end of a tile to the rearward end of the underlying tile which it overlaps, said rearward tile end being independently held down by the previously described, or other fastening means.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 9, provision ismade for tying down the forward tile ends by means of a wire or other pliable member 29. To provide for the use of the tying member-.29, each tile apron 2 is provided with a pair of central perforations 3i and the tying member 23 is engaged intermediately thereof in the crosswall 22. As particularly shown, an integral lug 32 extends forwardly from the cross-wall 22 to provide an anchorage for thetmember 29 which may be either fixedly or loosely engaged in a perforation 33 of the lug.

Preferably, and as particularly brought out in Figure 5, the apron perforations 3! are provided at a distance above the bottom edge of the apron which is greater than'the distance of the perforation 33 above the plane of the channel bottom; in this manner the holding-down functioning of the loop formed of the member 29 may be a maximum. It is noted that the tied or twisted ends of the member 29 are exposed in front of the tile face l3; since a tying wire may be of relatively small gauge these exposed fastener ends will not be unduly conspicuous and the knot is exposed for releasing a tile from the top side of the roof.

The tile ll shown in Figures 10 to 13 inclusive is seen to be generally similar to that of the first described embodiment in respect to the overlap and securing features. The tile 4| differs how ever from a tile 6 in that the top and bottom surfaces are curved rather than flat, whereby the grooves 42 and tongues of; the tile 41 are providedin lateral tile portions having cylindrically convex upper faces, and the central channel means are provided at the rear of the lugs 42v and at the front of tongues 43, said means corresponding to the cross walls I8 and I respectively of the previously described embodiment.

In Figures 14 to inclusive, tiles 5| are shown having the general construction of the tiles of Figures 10 to 13 as to the sealing overlap provided for adjacent tiles in a roof thereof. The

for in the previously described tiles.

tiles 5| are formed to provide longitudinal grooves 52 and tongues 53 at their side edges for a mutual overlapped engagement, and the tile portions providing said grooves and tongues are provided with baffie cross-walls 54 and 55 at their rear and front ends respectively, it being particularly noted that the cross-wall 55 provides part of the planar front face 56 of the tile. 1

In the present tile, the longitudinal central channel 51 thereof is defined by a cylindrically concave bottom face 58 and overhanging side faces 59. The apron 6| at the forward tile end is shaped in a complementary manner to a section of the channel 51 whereby it is arranged for a dove-tailed engagement in the channel for preventing an upward lifting of a forward tile end from the tile which it overlaps in a roof. The

channel 51 is of uniform section transversely thereof and terminates at a cross-wall 62 at the rearward end thereof, said cross-wall provided centrally thereof with a bayonet slot 63 for the reception of a nail 64 as a means to secure the rearward end of a tile to a roof 65. The present device for securing a tile against being lifted at its forward end is seen to permit a desired degree of overlap between succeeding'courses of the tiles, and to at the same time provide for a completely nested engagement of the tiles to form a stack thereof as shown in Figures 18 and 19. p

In the embodiment shown in Figures 21 to 24 inclusive, the provision for a dove-tail interlock by means of the engagement of a front apron II in a central drainage channel 12 is disclosed as applied to a flat tile 13 having the interlocking and sealing features of the tiles 6 shown in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive. A plurality of tiles 1| may be stacked in the compact manner provided From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while, I have described the principle of operation, together with certain forms which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. In a roofing tile, a generally rectangular body formed to have a longitudinal drainage channel intermediate the side edges thereof, a cross-wall closing the rearward end of said channel and provided with a transverse keyhole slot for removably receiving therethrough a headed nail extending from a roof element, an apron depending from the forward portion of said tile to extend into the corresponding said channel of a longitudinally overlapped and similar tile, a lug extending into the channel space from said crosswall, and a pliable tying element carried by the lug of the underlying tile for tying engagement solely with said apron, said element arranged for tying at the front face of said apron whereby the element is replaceable from the weather side of the roof.

2. In a roofing tile, a generally rectangular body formed to present a longitudinal drainage channel intermediate the side edges thereof, a cross-wall closing the rearward end of said channel, a lug extending into the channel space from said crosswall, an apron depending from the forward portion of said tile to extend into a corresponding channel of a longitudinally overlapped and similar tile, and a pliable tying element carried by said lug for tying engagement solely with the apron of an overlapping tile thereat to provide a loop substantially parallel to the tile plane.

3. In a roofing tile, a generally rectangular body formed to present a longitudinal drainage channel intermediate the side edges thereof, a crosswall closing the rearward end of said channel and provided with a transverse keyhole slot centrally thereof for removably receiving therethrough a headed nail extending from an underlying roof element, an apron depending from the forward portion of said tile to extend into the corresponding said channel of a longitudinally overlapped and similar tile and provided with a pair of openings centrally therethrough and directed longitudinally of the tile, a.- lug extending forwardly from said cross-wall centrally thereof, and a pliable tying element carried by the lug of the underlying tile for extension through said apron openings for tying into a loop for mutually securing the tiles thereat.

JULIUS KREMPER. 

